Yesterday, I went to a car show in downtown Athens, Alabama. I was impressed by how much work and attention to detail went into each of the vehicles. The owners did an amazing job restoring their cars. Each one is a true work of art.

When I was a teenager, Madison Square Mall was the best place to hang out with friends. It was the largest mall in the Huntsville area. It also had all sorts of cool stores and restaurants.

One of my favorite memories, involves me and my cousins hanging out on the second floor next to the railing that overlooked a water fountain on the first floor. We were talking with a friend and just being goofy.

The friend was wearing a clip-on tie, because he had an interview with one of the stores. My cousin Kay didn’t know it was a clip-on, so when she grabbed his tie it popped off and went flying over the railing. The tie landed in the water fountain below us.

The young man was really upset, because he had borrowed his father’s tie clip and he didn’t want to lose it.

My cousin Dee and I came up with a plan to fix the problem. We went down stairs, took off our shoes, and climbed into the water fountain to get the tie.

A security guard approached us and demanded to know what we were doing in the fountain. I tried to explain the situation, but that just made him even angrier at us.

Dee and I were escorted out of the mall and warned not to return.

Over the years, new malls and shopping centers have come to Huntsville, Alabama. Unfortunately, Madison Square never changed or made any significant improvements. They still have a lot of the 80’s colors and decretive styles through out the building.

People drifted to the more modern malls that are better able to meet their needs and Madison Square Mall continued to deteriorate.

Madison Squire Mall recently closed and all the stores have now relocated. The local news (WHNT.com) was showing pictures of the empty mall and talking about future plans for the building and the land. Looking at the pictures made me feel nostalgic and a bit sad.

When I was a teenager, the coolest place to hangout was at the courthouse square in downtown Athens, Alabama. Teenagers flocked to the site every evening. Everybody was there, or at least everybody that really mattered in our teenage world.

I admit, I was a regular visiter. I also had a truck, so I would drive around the square with my windows rolled down and the stereo blasting. The other kids with vehicles also drove around the square. It was like a parade of teenage drivers. After a while, I would park the truck and talk to people. I always had a blast while hanging out at the square.

As an adult, I think back on those days and wonder. How in the world did driving in circles end up being the coolest and most fun thing to do in the world? I drove for hours, but never went anywhere. That sounds ridiculous to me now.